1. AP World History POD #1 – Out of Africa Kingdom of the Nile

2. Class Discussion Questions McKay - “Egypt, the Land of the Pharaohs” pp. 16-22

3. 1. What impact did the Nile River have on Egyptian life? The Nile River was fundamental to Egyptian life as it flooded yearly on a predictable schedule bringing fertile soil The land along the banks of the Nile was very easy to farm leading to agricultural surpluses that facilitated population expansion Egypt was within close proximity to all of the resources it needed

4. 2. What is a theocracy? This is a system of government in which the political and religious leader is one in the same a political unit governed by a deity (or by officials thought to be divinely guided); the belief in government by divine guidance

5. 3. How does the Egyptian political and religious system interact? The Pharaoh (king) The Pharaoh commanded the wealth, resources, and the people of Egypt The Pharaoh served the dual purpose of being a living god The Pharaoh was considered a descendent of the gods The Pharaoh was considered the god Horus in human form

6. 4. What was the purpose of pyramids? The great house (tomb) of the Pharaoh for the afterlife Contained all of the things needed by the Pharaoh in afterlife The walls of the burial chamber were inscribed with religious tests and spells relating to the kings journeys after death

7. 5. Describe the social structure of Egypt? Egypt had no caste system Egypt had no color bias Egypt had social mobility Most people were serfs who were forced to remain on their land and work government projects such as pyramids, canals, etc.

8. 6. Describe the Egyptian experiment with monotheism? King Akhenaten and his wife Queen Nefertiti were more concerned with religion than conquest Their religious fervor was not favored by the Egyptian people and was abandoned after their death They believed in only the worship of the sun-god Aton, whom they worshiped, was universal, and only god They considered all other Egyptian gods and goddesses frauds and disregarded their worship Their belief suffered from an obvious flaw as the Pharaoh was considered the son of god and monotheism obviously cannot have two gods Akhenaten's monotheism, imposed from above, failed to find a place among the people as it had no connection to the past of the Egyptian people who trusted the old gods and felt comfortable praying to them